Current-motor.



PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905.

F. B. MARVIN.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1,190&.

ATTORN EYS FREDERICK B. MARVIN, OF PATERSON, NEWV JERSEY.

CURRENT-JVIOTOFL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24., 1905.

Application filed December 1, 1904:. Serial No. 235,031.

To (1,7,7 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK B. MARVIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom panyingdrawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to means for turning the power of moving bodies of water to practical use by mechanical means in which. a current-rotated part is the prime or initial element in the train of elements whereby the transmission of the power is eifected.

My present invention has for its object to provide an apparatus of this kind adapted particularly for use in connection with water in shallow places, as shallow rivers, brooks, or the like, or water marshes or other wastes where the body of water is a moving one.

I propose to employ a plurality of primary power-transmitting current-driven elements, and in that case to so arrange them that they may be separable from each other in the general contribution to the work to be accomplished. To this end each is adapted to be lowered or otherwise moved into a recess out of the way to be driven by the moving body of water for the time being. In order that the :full effect of the action of the flowing body of water may be brought against the major portion of the current-driven element or elements, the latter is or are arranged in a flume or iiumes formed in the bed of the body of water and having their continuity preserved where the recesses come by a trough like part or parts movable out of the path of said element or elements when the same are depressed into the recesses.

Other objects of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out in setting forth the construction and operation of the system.

The invention will be found fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where one adaptation thereof is shown, and wherein Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the system on the line a: in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the system. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, of one of the current-driven elements. Fig. i is a detail View illustrating a certain improved cofferdam and showing how the latter is made to form a tight seal around one of the currentdriven elements when the latter is to be cut out. Fig. 5 shows, on a larger scale, certain parts seen in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is an end view of one of the current-driven elements.

a in the drawings is the bed of a waterway, such as a shallow river, tidal marsh, or the like, lined with a filling of concrete 7). Preferably so far as my system extends in length or breadth the said bed 5 is formed as one or more flumes c, lined throughout with the concrete. According to the number of current driven elements used one or more recesses or pits (Z is or are formed in coincidence with each flume, having each about the same lateral dimension as the flume and slightly greater longitudinal and vertical dimensions than its respective current-driven element.

0 is a tunnel, also lined with concrete, extending transversely of the river-bed under each pit or pits. In this tunnel in bearingsf isjournaled a rotary shaft g, which is part of the means whereby the power is transmitted from the current-driven elements.

it is a cylindrical shell whose upper half is provided with slits 1:, making thereof a grating, while its lower half is imperforate. Said lower half when alined with the surface of the flume c substantially preserves the continuity of the latter at the pit. The shell 71, is formed conical at its front end, said conical portion being formed as a grating ,7. (See Fig. 3.) At 70 the body of the shell is extended imperforate to fill up the gap that would otherwise be formed at this point.

Z is a reinforcing-shell secured to the lower imperforate half of the shell 70.

At each end *of shell 72, is an upright m, fixed rigidly theretoand properly braced. Each of these uprights is arranged to move in a guideway 0, disposed vertically in the pit at the ends thereof. Said uprights form the bearings for a shaft p, which has a plain hearing in the foremost upright and a ball-bearing (1 in the other upright. On this shaft is mounted the current-driven element, which in the present instance is shown as a screw, the same being inclosed in the shell it and thereby protected, on the one hand, by its grating from floating sticks, ice, and other debris and having maintained for it, on the other hand, by the imperforate lower portion of said shell the full force of the water in its respective flume. Said screw comprises a hollow body portion consisting of an outer cylindrical shell conical at its forward end 8 and open at its other end, and a cylindrical air-chamber t and aseries of helical blades a, mounted on the shell 1*. The conical portion of the shell 0* is formed with one or more openings o, each normally closed by a valve w, hinged at 50. Each valve carries an arm 1 whose free end projects in between a shoulder .2 and a nut 1 on a threaded sleeve 2, arranged to slide on the shaft p, being pulled rearwardly by a spiral spring 3, coiled about the shaft and secured to a collar 4:, fixed adjustably on the shaft. The arrangement is such that under normal conditions the springs 3 will overcome the pressure of the water against the valves sufiiciently to hold them closed; but if the water-pressure should for any reason become suddenly abnormal the valves will be forced open by the water and relief afforded through the shell 9. A wall5 forms one closed end of air-chamber 2/.

Any suitable means for raising and lowering the current-driven element (and in the adaptation shown the shell it) may be provided. In the drawings I have shown such a means operated by hydraulic pressure, the same comprising a cylinder 6, set vertically with its upper end protruding into the tunnel e, and a piston 7, projecting up through the pit (Z and provided with a head 8,directly taking the impact of the shell h. In operating this means so as to raise or lower the screw and shell it material assistance by the abovementioned buoyancy of the screw is afforded, water at such time occupying the pit (Z. The supply-pipes 9 for the cylinders 6 may lead to some point above ground and be provided with valves (not shown) whereby any one of the screws can be raised or lowered at will.

For transmitting the power from the screwshafts p to the shaft 9 I provide telescoping square shafts 10, which are connected with the screw-shafts p on the one hand and the shaft g on the other hand by bevel-gearing 11 and 12, respectively.

In order to repair the mechanism, it will be often necessary to isolate each currentdriven element entirely from the body of water forming the source of power. To this end a cofl'er-dam 13 may be so constructed as to surround the mouth of each pit (Z, whereupon the waterinclosed can be entirely pumped out of the same and the pit (Z, thus leaving them free to the operations of the workmen. I therefore provide a manhole 14E, connecting each pit with the tunnel e and having a cover 16, provided with a valve 17, which after the coffer-dam has been properly adjusted may be opened to let the water escape into the tunnel, from whence it can be removed by a pump. Access for the workmen to the pit may then be had by removing the cover 16. The tunnel should be large enough to receive a mans body, and its top may be partitioned off, as at 18, to form air-chambers or breathingspaces should the tunnel become suddenly flooded.

In the cotfer-dam shown in Fig, 4, 19 is a plate hinged to a flange 20, which is secured to each side of the coifer-dam. Between this plate and said side of the coffer-dam is disposed a closed tube 21, of flexible material and provided with an air-supply pipe 22, it being prevented from upward displacement by chucks 23. The cotter-dam is adapted to seat in a groove 24, having sharp edges formed on its sides, as at 25, and when thus disposed the tube 21 is charged with compressed air until the sides of the cofl'er dam and the plates 19 impinge squarely against said edges, thus forming a seal suificiently tight for the purpose in hand.

26 designates flexible lips snugly fitting about the uprights m and acting to prevent mud and sand from finding its way in between said uprights and the guides 0.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination of a watercourse structure having a recess formed in its bed, and a water-driven element normally located to be acted upon by the moving body of water in said structure but adapted to be moved into said recess out of the way to be influenced by said moving body of water, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a watercourse structure having a recess formed in its bed, a water-driven element, and means for moving said element either into position to be acted upon by the moving body of water in said structure or into said recess cut off from the influence of said moving body of water, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a watercourse structure having a flume formed therein and a recess opening into said flume, and a waterdriven element normallylocated in said flume in coincidence with said recess but adapted to be lowered into said recess out of the way to be influenced by the portion of the moving body of water in said flume, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a watercourse structure having a flume formed therein and a recess opening into said flume, a water-driven element normally located in said flume in coincidence with said recess but adapted to be lowered into said recess out of the way to be influenced by the portion of the moving body of water in. said flume, and a removable wall disposed over said recess substantially as a continuation of the bottom of said flume, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a watercourse structure having a flume formed therein and a recess opening into said flume, a water-driven element normally located in said flume in coincidence with said recess, a removable wall normally disposed over said recess substantially as a continuation of the bottom of said flume, and means for moving said element and the wall into said recess, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a watercourse structure having a flume formed therein and a recess opening into said flume, a water-driven element located normally in said flume in coincidence with said recess, a horizontally-arranged cylindrical shell surrounding said element and having its upper portion perforate and its lower portion imperforate and adapted to form a continuation of the bottom of said flume, and means for moving said element and the shell up into the path of the portion of the moving body of water in said :flume or down into said recess out of the way to be influenced by said moving body of water, substantially as described.

7. In a water-driven element, the combination of a hollow body portion, a driveblade mounted thereon, said body portion comprising an air-chamber and having an opening therethrough, and a normally closed pressure-opened valve controlling said opening, substantially as described.

8. In a water-driven element, the combination of a cylindrical shell, a drive-blade mounted thereon, an air-chamber attached to said shell, said shell having an opening at the end thereof which is presented to the current, and a normally closed pressure-opened valve controlling said opening, substantially as described.

9. In a water-driven element, the combination of a hollow body portion, a driveblade mounted thereon, said body portion having an opening therethrough, and a normally closed pressure-opened valve controlling said opening, substantially as described.

10. The combination oi a Watercourse structure having a recess formed therein, a water-driven element normally located to be acted upon by the moving body of water in said structure but adapted to be moved into said recess out of the way to be influenced by said moving body of water, and power-transmitting means comprising a part having fixed bearings and extensible connecting means between said element and the said part, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a watercourse structure having a flume formed therein and a recess opening into said flume, a waterdriven element norm ally located in said ilume in coincidence with said recess but adapted to be lowered into said recess out of the way to be influenced by the portion of the moving body of water in said ilume, and a shell surrounding and movable with said element, said shell being perforate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto setmy hand this 28th day of November, 19041.

FREDERICK B. MARVIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, WM. D. BELL. 

